Let the Conversations Begin with Black Swan's First Mini-Festival Pairing

Let the Conversations Begin with BLACK SWAN's First Mini-Festival Pairing for the year together under the song title, The Boys Are Back In Town, Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll + HIR

Our greatest Australian classic and a hilarious cutting edge, new American play sit side by side in the month of May. Ray Lawler's Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, is a beautiful 1950's drama of love and homecoming. Set in working class Melbourne, this classic is directed by Adam Mitchell and is paired with the subversive and gender bending American kitchen sink drama, HIR by Taylor Mac (24 Decade History of Popular Music), directed by Zoe Pepper.

"The idea of programming works in conversation with one another, that didn't necessarily agree with one another, meant they could create some frisson and rub in terms of theme and characters and. In terms of questions that we ask ourselves once we see the shows," said Artistic Director Clare Watson.

"The conversation is about masculine identities," Watson adds, "and the shifting nature of masculine identities in the contemporary age. These are two works that speak to that, but in different ways. In both of them, the men are returning to a domestic environment."

Both plays begin with men returning home, only to find things have irrevocably changed. The men are grappling with their own identities, within these shifted realities. We feel this touches on the realities that many in our community experience today and most certainly in the fly-in-fly-out culture that has deeply affected the lives of so many Western Australians this century. Therefore the company have programmed a panel discussion, 'Talking FIFO & DIDO' scheduled for Thursday 17 May, 6pm.

There are play readings of Lawler's other two plays in the series: Kids Stakes (Sat 5 May at 1pm) and Other Times (Sun 6 May at 1pm) at City of Perth Library and a special extended dinner performance of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (Saturday 12 May).

Due to the generous support of Lotterywest, BLACK SWAN will continue their community engagement with the eighth live broadcast. Summer of the Seventeenth Doll will be broadcast live in high-definition on Friday 18 May at 7.30pm from the State Theatre Centre of WA in Perth to regional WA audiences.

CAST INCLUDES: Jacob Allan, Michael Cameron, Mackenzie Dunn, Vivienne Garrett, Amy Mathews, Kelton Pell, Alison van Reeken

DIRECTOR: Adam Mitchell

SET & COSTUME DESIGNER: Bruce McKinven

LIGHTING DESIGNER: Trent Suidgeest

COMPOSER/SOUND DESIGNER: Ben Collins

FIGHT DIRECTOR: Andy Fraser

VENUE: Heath Ledger THEATRE

SUITABILITY 15+ WARNING Adult themes

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

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